The present invention relates to the cooling of an information processing device, and particularly, relates to the control of a cooling fan in the information processing device to which an external memory device, etc. can be detachably attached.
A microprocessor such as a central processing unit, etc., arranged in an information processing device generates heat during its operation. A cooling fan is arranged in the information processing device to prevent an operation error due to this heat, an influence of this heat on lifetime, etc.
Since, however, the cooling fan generates noises depending upon a rotation speed, it is desirable to set the rotation speed of the cooling fan to a necessary minimum limit. There is therefore known a technique for arranging a temperature sensor near the central processing unit, and adjusting the rotation speed of the cooling fan on the basis of a temperature near the central processing unit.
In recent years, compactness of the information processing device is advanced, and an external memory device, a memory medium reader, etc., which are conventionally often designed as a built-in fixing type, are designed as an attaching-detaching type for further improving portability, etc. or coping with the diversity of a use mode of a user, etc. In this case, it is considered desirable to permit internal mounting of the xe2x80x9cexternalxe2x80x9d memory device, memory medium reader, etc., instead of their external mounting in view of usability at a mounting time, outer appearance, etc.
However, when the xe2x80x9cexternalxe2x80x9d memory device of the attaching-detaching type, etc. are internally mountable, the external memory device, etc. themselves constitute new heat sources within the information processing device during the mounting, and are objects to be cooled. Further, it is considered that the paths of cooling air currents are changed depending upon whether they are mounted or not mounted. Therefore, no sufficient cooling effects may possibly be obtained in the cooling fan control similar to that during non-mounting time.
An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device that permits internal mounting of an xe2x80x9cexternalxe2x80x9d memory device, etc., in which suitable control of the cooling fan is performed depending upon an attaching-detaching state of the external memory device, etc.
For overcoming the above problems, the present invention provides a method of controlling a cooling fan in an information processing device that permits internal mounting of a relevant device, comprising the stages of:
obtaining an internal temperature of the information processing device;
obtaining an attaching-detaching state of the relevant device;
obtaining a value relative to a rotation speed of the cooling fan which rotation speed corresponds to the obtained temperature, by referring to data which shows the relationship between the value relative to the rotation speed of the cooling fan and the temperature, and is determined depending upon the attaching-detaching state of the relevant device; and
controlling the rotation speed of the cooling fan on the basis of the value relative to the rotation speed of the cooling fan.
The above relevant device refers to an external memory device, a memory medium reader, etc.
The present invention also provides an information processing device that permits internal mounting of a relevant device, comprising;
a cooling fan having variable rotation speeds, temperature obtaining means for obtaining a temperature within the information processing device, attaching-detaching state obtaining means for obtaining an attaching-detaching state of the relevant device, control means for controlling the rotation speed of the cooling fan, and reference data that shows the relationship between a value relative to the rotation speed of the cooling fan and the temperature and is determined depending upon attaching-detaching state of the relevant device,
wherein said control means determines the reference data to be referred to, on the basis of the attaching-detaching state of the relevant device obtained by the attaching-detaching state obtaining means, calculates the value relative to the rotation speed of the cooling fan from the temperature obtained by the temperature obtaining means and said reference data, and controls the rotation speed of the cooling fan on the basis of the obtained value.